The last day of the Marauders
by Lilybet
Summary: A series of drabbles and double drabbles about that fateful night. Halloween. James & Lily. Character death. JPLE
1. For everything there is a season

**Disclaimer: The characters etc belong to JKR not me, ditto for following chapters.**

**Setting: 31st October.**

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Sirius yawned widely, "I hate mornings" he thought to himself as he plodded down the street.

Rolling over James curled his arm around Lily, her brow which was creased lightly even in sleep easing as he did.

Reaching through the bars of his cage Remus grabbed his clean, untorn, set of clothing thinking as he did, "Only two more to go."

Peter twisted in agony on the floor of the hall, the dark figures watching with glee as he screamed out "Godric's Hollow!"

Harry Potter waved his hand in the air watching the motes of dust dance as he did, a smile on his face.

**xxxxxxx**

**Reviews always appreciated.**


	2. A time to be born & a time to die

Sirius sat down at the table with a thump, he had been chasing leads all morning and had yet to come any closer to finding a single Death Eater, let alone the Dark Lord himself. Leaning forward he snagged a sandwich from the plate in the middle of the table.

"Have you heard about Benjy?" asked Elphias Doge.

"No. What's happened?" Sirius responded, a sinking feeling in his heart.

"Death Eaters got him outside Greenway Park, Moody's still out there trying to find what's left of him."

"Merlin," Sirius breathed, setting down the sandwich. Somehow his appetite had vanished.


	3. A time to plant

Remus sat huddled round the warm coffee, the only thing he could afford. The other patrons of the magical coffee-house were just as miserable as him, the war still raged on around them on both sides of the English channel, but at least they weren't alone.

An owl flew in through the window and a brief light came into his eyes, maybe there was something from his friends. He drank in the words as the letters fell to the table; nothing from them, only Dumbledore and the Ministry. Sighing, Remus finished his coffee and headed back out into the German village, the Black Forest growing close around.


	4. A time to kill & a time to heal

James stared moodily out the window. At the table Lily was trying to get their son, Harry, to eat his lunch without much success. The only good things in his world and they were all under threat, and he was unable to do anything about it because he was stuck in the house.

Lily sighed, taking her eyes off the baby for a moment to look at her husband. He'd been getting more and more difficult to live with over the past week, it was almost as bad as being back at Hogwarts.

"Oh, Harry!" she exclaimed as she turned her attention back to the fifteen month old. From ear to ear Harry had managed to smear the biscuit his mother had been trying to feed him. He was laughing to himself as he started to bang his spoon loudly on the table.

"Pud pud pud!" he demanded as he did.

Suddenly the boy was lifted out of his chair, to both his and Lily's surprise. Holding him high above his head James gave his son a mock serious look.

"So you want pud do you?" he inquired, and taking the resulting happy yell as a yes tucked Harry under his arm and walked off to the kitchen.

**A/N: Pud: A British shortening of Pudding, the sweet snack after dinner.**


	5. A time to break down

Fear washed over Peter as he stood near the back of the crowd of black hooded people. He was the reason they were all so happy, the reason that the snake-like man at the front was practically hissing in pleasure.

"Tonight, my faithful servantss, I shall eliminate a family that hass been a thorn in my side for so long. The Potterss die tonight!" Voldemort gleefully declared, as the Death Eaters cheered.

"And it's all because of one man," Voldemort beckoned and Peter, trembling, went forwards, "Are you pleased with our successs?"

"Y-y-yes, sir. Overjoyed." Peter stuttered.

**A/N: Do let me know what you think...**


	6. A time to weep & a time to laugh

"Come in my lad," Dumbledore said as he poured over the maps on his desk, "No point standing outside the door."

"I take it you've heard about Benjy?" Sirius inquired, half remembering better times when the worst that he would hear from the elderly man was a reprimand.

"Yes. A terrible tragedy, I fear Voldemort is taking advantage of the Ministry's lack of success."

"Do you think we ought to warn James and Lily. If Voldemort's getting bolder..."

"They're quite safe Sirius. After all, you chose the secret keeper - yourself." said Dumbledore kindly, looking over the tops of his half-moon glasses.

**A/N: Thank you for taking the time to review. If you haven't done so...why not!**


	7. A time to mourn & a time to dance

**Disclaimer: I thought it had been a while, so once again the characters etc in this, and the following chapters, do not belong to me.**

Striding fast but not fast enough to attract attention Remus headed towards a little bar he'd heard harboured some of his kind.

The bar was dark and grim, a fitting place for a werewolf. Ordering a drink he sat on a stool and looked surreptitiously around. There were half a dozen patrons spread out, the closest to him only a stool away.

The fellow turned to him and growled low under his breath, the yellow gleam in his eyes betraying his nature. Deep inside Remus the wolf growled back, it had been a long time since was allowed to run free.

**Review?**


	8. A time to throw stones

Peter crept as quietly as he could down the stairs and out into the front hall, but he was not quiet enough.

"And where do you think you are going, Mr. Pettigrew?" said a snide voice.

"Snape! I didn't see you there. I was just going to...going to..."

Snape emerged out of the shadows, his long robes playing around his thin form.

"Wherever you are going Mr. Pettigrew, I think you should go quickly." murmured the man, before he turned his back on the door.

Peter took the hint and left fast, not daring to look back as he scampered for the edge of the gardens.

**A/N: I'd like to thank all those who are reading this, and encourage you all to express your displeasure or enjoyment by reviewing. LB**


	9. A time to embrace

**And we're over half way there....**

Lily closed the door to the nursery and headed downstairs, smiling as she did. James was pacing across the living room again, his wand in his hand, being spun back and forth by his twitching fingers. Going over she stopped him with a touch and gently lifted it from his grasp.

"You're going to do yourself a damage if you keep doing that," she said, "And you're not doing the carpet any good either."

"I can't stand it Lily. Being stuck in here whilst He's out there doing who knows what to people we know, people we care about. What about Sirius and Remus? They're out there right now, fighting _Him_ when all I can do is stay here." ranted James, before he collapsed into a chair.

"I know." Lily walked over to the window, and looked blindly out, "You don't think that I've got the same things running round in my head. But we have to do this James. We have to stay safe here, for Harry's sake."

A tear dripped down her face as the thought of Harry being caught by _Him_ passed through her mind. She hadn't expected him but now that she had him she would do anything for her little man.

**Review if you have liked, or disliked, what you've read so far.**


	10. A time to seek & a time to lose

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He was running fast as he could, yet still he feared that he would not make it in time. If only his friends were with him, he had grown to trust that they would keep him from harming others, but out here in the wilderness he had no one. The door slammed shut behind him, but it was too late, the change had come.

Howling, the wolf ran out the house and towards the Black Forest, the scent of others in his nose. He howled again and received the welcome cries of others of his kind, at last he was free!

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**You know what to do!**


	11. A time to keep

Harry giggled as the golden butterfly flew round his head, twisting round to follow it he toppled off balance and fell with a thump onto his well-padded bottom. James grinned at his son as he created a second, blue, butterfly to join the first.

"Fly! Fly!" Harry chirped happily as he clapped his hands.

Lily smiled indulgently at the pair as they sat in the middle of the living room. James had been amusing their son for the past half hour, creating all sorts of bright shiny creatures for him to chase.

Harry reached out for the stick that created so many pretty things, and shook it trying to get another butterfly to join the two still circling his head.

James let Harry play with his wand as he wandered out into the front hall, he thought he had heard someone coming up the path. Looking out the glass in the door he saw a dark figure with a snake like face.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!" he yelled as the door was ripped off its hinges.

Lily raced out into the hall, boy in arms, and gasped in fear as she was confronted with the Dark Lord coming in through the door.

"Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" James yelled again, launching himself at the man, fists flying.

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**And so we come to the beginning of the end. Sigh. Can't wait to see your responses to this.**


	12. A time to tear

The motorbike sped through the sky, Sirius glancing down every now and again to check his position. Finally seeing the set of lights he was searching for, he guided the bike into land. Opening the door of the small house he called out, "Peter? Hey Peter, I brought Chinese."

Searching through the house for his small friend he started to become concerned, there was none of the usual mess he associated with Peter's hideout. A sudden fear gripped him and he raced out to the bike, barely waiting to seat himself before firing it up.

"Please let me be wrong." he prayed to the stars as he flew.

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**A/N: I'm going to be away for a few weeks but will try to update.**

**As usual I look forward to reading your comments and reviews**.


	13. A time to keep silent & a time to speak

Lily ran up to the nursery, she and left her wand there and couldn't leave without it. And there was one more thing that she could do for Harry. Dropping him in the crib she snatched up her wand and started chanting, a shudder running through her as she heard a cut off scream from below. A light flashed blue as the door was wrenched open.

"Ah, Mrs Potter. If you'll just let me past." Voldemort said politely, his eyes flashing a more violent red as he sighted the child.

Lily raised her wand defiantly but too fast it was wrenched out of her grasp by his quick spell. Defenceless, the adrenalin rushing through her, fear clouding her mind she thought only of Harry.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" Lily pleaded, trying desperately to block her son from view.

"Stand aside you silly girl ... Stand aside now."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead." she begged, tears rolling down her face.

"This is my last warning." Voldemort insisted, trying to keep his temper at having to give it.

"Not Harry! Please ... have mercy ... Not Harry!" Lily screamed as Voldemort advanced on her, "Please - I'll do anything..."

There was a flash of green light and her limp body fell to the floor, the high pitched scream which echoed round the remains of the room not her own.

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**A/N: And so I'm back. There's two more chapters to come, and they'll come swiftly. More swiftly if you do what you're best at: Review!**


	14. A time to love & a time to hate

Peter walked slowly towards the partially destroyed building, still not quite believing what he was seeing. Stepping through the front door he choked back a gasp, tears forming in his eyes. To see him lying so still and pale was wrong; the vibrant prankster fallen.

Upstairs the door had been completely blown off, there was nothing left of the thing he had called master. Picking up the wand he turned his back on the body lying so defenceless next to the crib.

As the rain began to fall he started to run, a litany of apologies running faster through his mind as he did.

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**As per usual, please do review.**


	15. A time for war & a time for peace

Sirius didn't look back as he fled Godric's Hollow, there was someone who needed to pay for this.

A unnatural howl went up in the Black Forest as a werewolf felt the loss of one of his pack.

Peter stood out in the rain, a plan slowly forming in his mind. He had chosen a side, for better or worse.

James hugged Lily close as they looked down on their son through death's pale shroud, hoping that he would remember them.

Harry watched the stars zooming overhead as he snuggled closer to the warm man. Knowing he was watched over he gently drifted off to sleep.

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**A/N: And that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed it. Review.**

**P.S. The titles all come from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8**


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